Basketball

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

August 6, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy MLive.com)

The Fighting Illini men’s basketball team had some major talent on campus recently, sophomore-to-be Trey McKenney, a 6-foot-2 shooting guard from Orchard Lake, Michigan. 

McKenney is a four-star recruit, but listed by ESPN as the 19th overall prospect in the class of 2025. Illinois was able to get the top prospect on campus and did a wonderful job of selling the Illinois program and what they can do for the star guard. 

His dad John McKenney came away in awe of his time spent in Champaign.

By IlliniGuys Staff

August 4, 2022

The summer workout period is officially over and IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst Brad Sturdy gives his evaluations and hands out some end-of-summer awards.  Find out who performed the best and a couple of surprise nuggets that we haven't heard before.

Illinois assistant coach Geoff Alexander just arrived back in Champaign this week after watching French 2022 commit Zacharie Perrin shine in FIBA U-18 Europeans Championships. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

August 3, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Zacharie Perrin's Instagram page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The only absent member of the 2022-23 Illinois men’s basketball roster still has some work to do overseas.

Just over a month after verbally pledging his services to Illinois’ 2022 recruiting class, Zacharie Perrin - a 17-year-old international star player from France, is currently in Izmir, Turkey attempting to lead his home country to its first gold medal in the FIBA U-18 European Championships since 2016. 

Perrin, a 6-foot-11, 220 pound forward, doesn't turn 18 years old until the end of this month, which is around the time Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said Wednesday he expects the Frenchmen to arrive on campus.

“The FIBA tournament will end this weekend and then he’ll get a couple of weeks off before we expect to see him arrive for the start of school,” Underwood said. 

By Zain Bando - IlliniGuys Student Correspondent August 2, […]

By Kedric Prince – IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

August 2, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Prospective Insight)

Zoom Diallo is a 6-foot-3, 180-pound PG/SG from Tacoma, Washington, who plays his AAU basketball for Elite Sports Academy. Diallo played in the UAA Finals held in Chicago last month. 

Diallo is a guard who can score at all levels, with his long range jump-shot being his weapon, which, in return, set up his crossover move that had recent Minnesota commit Cam Christie on his heels.  With rosters changing yearly, having another four-star weapon like Diallo would keep the rich guard history moving forward.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

July 31, 2022

The official AAU basketball season is over; there will be a few late tournaments, but the live session is now over. 

Illinois head basketball coach Brad Underwood said, “Although the class of 2023 is deep, there's not a lot of players out there next year who a lot of coaches feel can come in and make a difference right away. Right now, we’re all going to be fighting for those players who can.”

Amani Hansberry is the one key player in the class of 2023 who many slept on early. Illinois assistant coach Chester Frazier has been in constant contact with the 6-foot-8 power forward. 

By IlliniGuys Staff

July 28, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

It's the last weekend in July.  That means the start of the fall semester is just around the corner AND we're now less than 90 days away from the Illini basketball team starting preseason drills in its quest to climb higher among the nation's elite.

After a whirlwind spring that saw two-time All-American Kofi Cockburn change his mind and enter the NBA draft, a pair of athletic, veteran Big 12 transfers join the roster, and arguably the most talented Illini freshman class in years step onto campus, the time is drawing near to see what this group has - and what it needs to do.

IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst Brad Sturdy takes a sneak peek inside the still-being-renovated Ubben practice facility and updates us on the refurbished project that is Illinois basketball.  A program that's coming off a Big Ten tournament title and conference regular season championship in consecutive years isn't satisfied.

Here's Sturdy's scouting report after two months of the guys working together:

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

July 28, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois High School Basketball)

Illinois women’s basketball coach Shauna Green and staff are taking a page from football coach Bret Bielema: when you see talent in your backyard, you try to go get them.

Earlier this month, Green and company offered Chicago Whitney Young sophomore-to-be Destiny Jackson, a 5-foot-8 guard who already is listed as one of the nation’s top players.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

July 24, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

Today’s high school basketball and football players no longer say to coaches or recruiting gurus: “I’m going to a school that will help me get to the NBA.” Now they say “I want a coaching staff that can develop my talent and maximize it.”

Prior to Illinois head basketball coach Brad Underwood, Illinois having players who play in the NBA was like saying they would reach the Final Four for six consecutive years.

Illinois landed highly touted guard Ayo Dosunmu from Morgan Park, who developed into a first team All-American, did things at Illinois and college in general that other players could not do for years. Dosunmu was drafted by the Chicago Bulls late in the 2021 second round, 38th pick to be exact, shocking those who watched him play and all those who coached him.

Underwood said he believes the 2022-23 roster has a few guys that could potentially play in the NBA.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

July 23, 2022

Cam Ward is a freshman who plays AAU basketball for Team Durant, a teammate of prime Illinois target Amani Hansberry. 

Sitting court-side Thursday for their game against Mokan Elite was Illini head coach Brad Underwood and assistant coaches Chester Frazier and Geoff Alexander. 

The staff was tracking Hansberry of course, but also saw all they needed to offer the 6-foot-6, 180-pound forward from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, a scholarship as soon as the game was over. 

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

July 22, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Rich Barron's Twitter page)

Last year at this time, St. Ignatius power forward Richard Barron made an unofficial visit to the University of Illinois.  Barron is a teammate of Phoenix Gill, a current freshman who received a scholarship offer from the Fighting Illini.

Barron is a 6-foot-5, 205-pound shooting guard who Illinois watched a few times this summer. He is an interesting prospect who likes Illinois a lot, but he is what you might call a “tweener.”  He is big, strong and that works for high school, but would have to see that translate to college.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

July 21, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Chicago Tribune)

There is no downtime in July; it is AAU/UAA basketball season, a couple weeks off and a couple of live periods for coaches to evaluate.

In the city of Bedford Park, Illinois, near Chicago, is a new basketball facility named the Wintrust Sports Complex. This week the UAA Finals, with plenty of talented players and DI coaches, are there.

Illinois recently offered Rolling Meadows outstanding shooting guard Cameron Christie, a 6-foot-3, 160-pound shooting guard; most recruiting services list him at a three-star prospect. 

In my most recent IlliniGuys state recruiting rankings, I listed Christie as the third best player in the state (2023), behind Davius Loury and Dai Dai Ames, both from Kenwood. 

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By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

July 18th, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Davius Loury's Twitter page)

The state of Illinois is always rich in basketball talent, the class of 2023 and 2024 will be no different. The Fighting Illini men’s basketball staff is traveling the country to find the next big time target, but Illinois remains a hotbed.

Here’s my list of the top ten targets in 2023-24.

By Kedric Prince – IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

July 14, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Prep Hoops)

Jackson Kotecki is a 6-foot-9, 210 pound forward from St. Ignatius High School who has battled hard this summer and may have turned a few heads.

Class: 2023

Why Illinois:  Looking for players to maybe backup others would be what Kotecki is; he is not going to make you spill your popcorn, but he would be a nice piece to add to the rotation that will give you some size. He is not weak, he is not a "project," but has good footwork and is a willing passer. He battled big men all weekend at the Riverside Brookfield Shootout last month and Illinois coaches took notice.